WHICH IS BEST: A UNIVERSITY OR SEMINARY PHD?

What is the difference between a university and a seminary PhD in Religious Studies? The former prepares a person to teach at a college or university. It is a research-driven degree. 

Universities that offer PhDs are ranked according to the quality of their programs and placed into one of three tiers. For example, Harvard and Rice are top tier schools. Fordham and University of Dallas are second tier. Youngstown State University and Regent University are third tier. A PhD graduate from Regent will not likely land a teaching job at the University of Chicago. But a Harvard grad may teach at Regent.

Seminaries are professional schools that prepare graduates for ministry. Most seminaries offer practical doctorates (DMin) to help pastors hone the skills of their craft. Early on, however, a few seminaries such as Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (KY) and Union Theological Seminary (NY) began to offer academic doctorates (PhDs) for those wishing to be scholar-pastors or to teach at a seminary or a Christian college.* Other seminaries soon followed. Seminary PhD degrees usually take 3 years to complete.

In the wider world of academia, seminary PhD programs in biblical studies are not as respected, rightly or wrongly, as their university counterparts because they are creedal. Some seminary dissertations are more “topic-oriented” than “thesis-oriented” and fail to plumb the depths of primary source materials. Whereas, students in a PhD program at Yale or UT Austin must become familiar with everything that has ever been written on the limited scope of their thesis. These programs usually take 5-6 years to complete.

Seminaries accept the majority of the applicants into their PhD programs. This is the not the case at top-tier universities. Some Religion departments accept fewer than 2-4 new students per year into their program. The competition is brutal. 

Universities in the top two tiers usually offer PhD students stipends starting around $20,000 per year. Seminary PhD students rarely receive stipends, but they may find employment as adjuncts.

Which is better—a University or Seminary PhD? That’s a difficult question. Each has a niche in education. It’s like comparing apples and oranges. Both are fruit, but are unique in other ways.  A better question may be, “Which program is best for you?” That depends on your interests, career goals, and abilities. Do you wish to devote your life’s energy to historical research and scholarly publications? If so, you may want to pursue a university PhD.  If you are more interested in teaching or ministering  to Christians, then a seminary PhD may fit the bill.

*Graduation from a select few Ivy League seminaries, such as Princeton Theological Seminary, might open door to a faculty position at a university.